Amy the Outlaw
by HollyIvy Crown
Summary: Life in Locksley is tough after Robin and Much leave for the Holy Land. What has happened whilst they've been away, and what will happen on their return? Based on ep 1 series 1. (Dominic Minghella/BBC owns the most of the dialogue and plot in parts 3 and 5 of chp 2, and all characters except my own creations).
1. Chapter 1 Part One

Chapter 1 – Part One

Well, what can I say? Surprises are not always pleasant. In fact, they can alter your actions completely. Usually, to avoid doing something thrust upon you, it's natural to do anything to avoid doing that something.

You must be confused. Don't worry - I could not make head or tail of what I thought just now. If you bear with me, you'll get the gist.

Basically, I should have known it would happen.

It had happened to all the girls I knew around my age and older. It had caused me to wonder whether it was going to happen to me, and when.

But that day, what with all the work I had to do– on my own, mind you, as Magda and Gwen decided to sneak outside to soak up some sunlight – those kinds of thoughts had been driven completely out of my mind.

Before you ask if I was thinking about a 'special someone' (as a friend of mine once aptly worded it), I'm going to say that yes, I was. Despite the fact I hadn't seen him in two years, it was unlikely I'd ever get to see him again and being near but yet so far from knowing if he truly felt the same way about me.

I found it hard to admit, but the memory of him kept me alive since he'd left.

That was how bad my life was. I felt alone, unable to confide in my father about anything, and missed the people who had deserted me bitterly. I slept to die. I was awake in the hope of there somehow being hope in our bleak world. But there was none. The only apparent hope seemed to be inactive in my life, although I had heard rumours claiming otherwise.

The day it happened was a normal, mundane, dreary day. Just like any other day. Nothing remotely interesting had happened.

I found the others' gossip shallow. I didn't care whether Sir Guy was still brooding over how his fiancée deserted him for an outlaw. Good on her! If I was Lady Marian, I would have done just that.

I didn't voice my opinion though. Guy had a nasty temper. If I had done, I would probably have woken up the next day without my right hand – worse off than I was then: no work; disinherited from my father (not that I would inherit anything anyway); subject to stares or squirms from fully-bodied people for the rest of my life.

Guy was like a boy, sulking about being defeated by a playmate, not a grown man, accepting the fact that some things in life you just cannot have.

When I had to give him his supper, I hurried in, plonked the dish down on the table and hastily departed – all of this achieved without looking at him.

I felt quite proud of myself, actually. He chided me not, nor shouted at me for inadequacies. All that greeted me was silence, and that refreshed me like cool pleasant water on a hot summer's day.

Soon, I would be able to go home. Not that home was a haven (on the contrary). But after being at work for over twelve hours, I longed to sleep somewhere without being scrutinized.

My father never scrutinized openly. He was dismissive, but hardly ever knew what exactly I thought, how I felt or that the extent of his control was now limited.

He never praised me or gave me advice or shared that he cared. I knew I was only someone to look after him when he could no longer continue his trade as a merchant.

What a pleasant thought. How useful I must have been to him.

After Rose, the Manor's cook, let me go, after giving me a hug and telling me to be a good girl, I walked back to our hut in the gathering dark. Men were still going about their everyday business; women were still working; children who should have been sound asleep were alongside their parents. And no one smiled.

Not even a glimmer of hope in their faces. I then realised I wasn't smiling either. I thought of the smile that kept me going each day, and a wave of sadness and longing swept over me all at once.

I love you, I love you, I said silently, thinking of his face, which was starting to fade now, along with my memory of him.

I passed his house, still vacant. The whole village revered it, and no one, not even the hungriest of us, had taken anything. I had gone in, and there was nothing of any use anyway. The valuables I remembered had been sold for food, all that food had been eaten, and a few days after their escape, only their carpentry tools were missing.

As I saw it, I sighed and saw my breath escape from my mouth like smoke. After two years, I still missed him like it was only yesterday. Every day I asked myself the same questions. Would I see him again? Who did he want to be betrothed to? Who did Dan want him to be betrothed to? Was it pointless still thinking like this?

'Amy!'

A harsh but familiar voice interrupted my thoughts and I realised I had my mouth open, gazing stupidly into the middle distance. Idiot.

'Amy!'

I looked vaguely around for the noise and my father was standing on our doorstep, his face like thunder.

And I actually mean that. He wasn't smiling either. He jerked his hand, indicating that I should hurry. I obeyed meekly and followed him, with a sinking heart, into his house.


	2. Chapter 1 Part Two

Chapter 1 – Part Two

As I said earlier, I should have known it would happen…. I'd been to three weddings this year: Meg's, Rebecca's, Eva's…

I felt slightly proud of myself after my father finished the stew I'd made for us both. He was, smiling… a surprising thing to happen under our roof.

'Amy.' His voice was softer, less gruff, which usually meant something had gone well for him. For once, I was intrigued.

'Yes, father?' I remembered Rose's advice and smiled at him. To my astonishment, he returned it.

'Guess who I met in Nottingham today?'

As he was a merchant, it could literally have been anyone…

'I don't know, Father.'

'Of course you don't, you have to guess.' He looked a little agitated now.

'Erm.' I couldn't think of anybody.

'The Sheriff?' I ventured, knowing it was the wrong answer.

'No. A man called Sir Campbell.'

I know my father was faced with a blank stare at this point.

'You know… the one who is a distant kinsman of your mother.'

Then I realised who he was talking about, but I had no idea where there was going. I thought maybe he wanted me to work in his house instead of the Manor at Locksley, as a serving maid or something, to get more money. I was completely and utterly unprepared for what came next.

'I suggested, as he is looking for a wife, that you would be a suitable bride for him.'

I dropped my wooden bowl on the rushes, which needed to be replaced with fresh ones at least three months ago, and hastily picked it up, my heart banging painfully in my stomach.

If it wasn't for the fact that I thought about someone else constantly each day and of Campbell's age (he was sixty) and of the fact that he taxed the people in his land very perniciously, almost as bad as in Locksley, I wouldn't have minded.

But I did mind.

'B-but I can't!' I burst out, my father's face darkening like a looming thundercloud.

'And why's that?' he asked sternly.

'Because…' I hesitated, both fearful and angry. 'Because he's ugly and dishonest and – and… and I don't want to marry him,' I blurted out.

Oh no, now I'm in for it. I screwed up my eyes and felt him roughly shake my shoulders. I dared to open my eyes and glimpsed his eyes staring back at me, blazing with fury.

'Now, listen here, my girl.'

His voice had dropped to a whisper and it made my skin creep.

'I know you'll be happy with him. He can provide for you and keep us alive. You don't want to go down the same road as your mother now do you?'

How dare he use her to persuade me to marry for unhealthy security! She acted out of love and self-sacrifice. And here I was, about to be sold by her husband, blessed to be alive, to do the complete opposite. And I had to call him 'Father'.

I looked at my so-called father with a steely glare.

'I'd sooner die than share the same bed as him,' I heard myself saying. Without warning, he slapped me across the face. My skin smarted and my eyes watered from the blow.

'He'll be coming here in a few days and whatever happens, you will marry him. You'll have nowhere to hide. The only place is the forest, where you'll either starve or be taken by those outlaws. Don't they ambush people and then cut your throat as soon as look at you?'

No, I thought silently. They take money from the rich and give it to the poor.

All I could manage was to shrug my shoulders in reply.

'Now get to bed!'

I was more than happy, for once, to obey.


	3. Chapter 1 Part Three

Chapter One – Part Three

Face swollen already with salty tears and gripped by more anxiety and fear than I had ever faced before, I cried myself to sleep that night.

Why him? Why out of all the men in England did it have to be him?

I'd have preferred to be among the outlaws in Sherwood Forest. I didn't agree with my father. Apparently, according to rumours, our last Earl of Locksley, Sir Robin, led the outlaws, with the daughter of the late Sheriff of Nottingham, called Marian. And even before Sir Robin returned here two years ago, I noticed that a couple of men had gradually disappeared from our village and were pronounced 'dead' (although there was no public execution or burial at all). One of them was 'Little' John, our beefy blacksmith, who was often a bit crabby, but had a heart of gold. And after Robin's return, Dan Scarlett, the village carpenter, and his two sons Will and Luke, had also left. But I believed that none of these men would be capable of cutting the throats of innocent bystanders who happened to be travelling through Sherwood Forest.

I resolved to escape and venture into the forest, than please a callous man.

I re-emerged the next morning just in time to catch my father before he set off to Nottingham.

'Father, I've been thinking – '

'A bad thing to do,' he interrupted bluntly.

I ignored his remark and blundered on.

'I've realised that you're right – getting married to Sir Campbell would be convenient, and the right thing to do.'

My stomach recoiled at what I just said, but my father smiled and patted me on the shoulder.

'I knew you'd come round to the idea.'

As soon as he left, I fervently began to plan my escape.


	4. Chapter 1 Part Four

Chapter One – Part Four

On one hand, I couldn't believe I was doing this, and on the other, I was excited for freedom – the anticipated excitement of being on the run from someone, just like the old tales of forced marriages. One part of me was terrified and the other was ecstatic, joyful, head over heels, defiant.

My pretence that I was absolutely thrilled about getting married at a few days' notice, gushing about everything and how happy I was to be Lady Campbell, seemed to put my father off the scent of my escape plan. He even bought me a lovely speckled horse for me to have as a wedding gift. I gushed even more when he showed it to me, as it served vital for my ability to run far away.

The night before the wedding, I generously added strong wine I'd borrowed (well, stolen to be honest) from Locksley Manor's parlour to my father's bowl of stew, inconspicuously, so he would not notice.

He didn't suspect a thing. He had already returned from Nottingham, thoroughly exhausted. Within twenty minutes of finishing, his eyelids fluttered closed, his head drooped and his snores reverberated around the wooden rafters and walls. I felt guilty for a few moments, surveying his face in the flickering candlelight, blissfully asleep, seemingly free from worries.

He had done a lot for me, I almost rebuked myself. He's given me a horse, he was kind to me –

Only because you lied to him, the overriding voice in my head interjected. This is _Sir Campbell_ \- a wicked man, as well as ugly, and much too old. And what about –

At once, I realised how much time I was wasting by going back on my carefully formulated plans.

I had packed little, as it was easier to carry little. I'd find food somewhere or other, I reasoned. If the majority of people were kind and generous in Locksley, they were bound to be elsewhere. I had not told anyone, not even my friend Kate, Ellen the potter's eldest daughter, whom I usually confided in when we bumped into each other, which was now rarely ever, that I planned to leave. I don't think Father had told anyone of my impending marriage, as no one at Locksley congratulated me, not even Sir Guy. Not that he'd care anyway. He was still busy mooning over Marian.

Anyway, I looked at my sleeping father and heard that voice inside my head again.

'Amy! It's working! He's actually fallen asleep. Almost there, you can nearly smell the freedom, can't you? Only a few more things to do then… FREEDOM!'

The whole of my body shook with nervousness, cold and exhilaration, all at the same time.

I tiptoed slowly to my room, grabbed my small bag and silently crept to the front door, cautiously looking at my father to see if there were any signs of rousing.

Thankfully he did not stir, and I closed the wooden door silently on him. A gust of wind tried to help me, and it shut with a loud bang that made my new horse neigh outside in alarm.

I froze, stopped dead in my tracks, straining my ear at the door in case my father had been woken up. There was silence, except for my panicking heartbeat. Then a huge familiar snore could be heard through the crack between the door and wall, and I exhaled a silent sigh of relief.

In the dark, I surveyed my horse: I realised I had a few obstacles in my path before I could actually properly escape.

My new horse somehow sensed what I was planning to do (why do horses seem to predict and sense everything?) and when I tried to saddle him, he would not keep still.

It was impossible not to jangle the stirrups, reigns and saddle but I was trying to muffle every noise we made with all my might.

After about an hour, I estimated, as it seemed to take longer than I thought, I clambered, my small bag strapped to my back, onto my ticket out of here, and undid the rope tying him to the post.

I failed to realise the effect this had on the imprisoned horse, held outside our house against his will, reminding me so much of my predicament.

Embracing this freedom, he reared up on his hind legs, and I clung on for dear life, praying that I would not fall.

He charged, sending clucking and squawking chickens from the nearest hen coop flying everywhere. I prayed again that no one would be awakened, but I heard familiar shouts.

'Who goes there?'

'What's that?'

And I heard the sound of Fang, Peter's dog, barking wildly like a hound let loose from the gates of Hell.

Egged on by Fang's menacing growls, the horse sped out of Locksley and soon we were swiftly passing through the wilderness that was Sherwood Forest, thick with trees, bushes and thickets.

I let the horse guide me: I had not planned exactly where I wanted to go, and for ages, it did not falter or stop. It did not cease galloping until the sky grew lighter above and I could glimpse dawn between the leaves of the trees.

I imagined what I'd do next. Try and light a fire, find something to eat, maybe from a passing traveller.

Without warning, the horse buckled and sank to its knees. He lay his head down in the debris on the forest floor, too tired to move.

I slid off, and as I did so, caught sight of a pair of eyes watching us from a thicket. Amber eyes, with black slits for pupils, easy to dwell in its depths and never escape. Bristling grey hair. A leering grin with yellowing, sharp teeth, cracked with vestiges of blood. Ears pricked up, alert, all-hearing. A wolf, obscured in the bushes, but ready to pounce on its defenceless prey.

My breathing inside my chest rapidly accelerated and despite my attempts to remain calm, all the things I remembered about wolves and the stories that haunted me as a child seeped into my mind like blood through a bandage dressing.

That story about a girl who visited her grandmother in the woods, only to find that the wolf had eaten her; werewolves, men who can turn into wolves when the silver moon is full, with insatiable desires for human flesh; Agnes, the wise woman, and her warning about playing in the woods in the late afternoon, as the orange sun was setting…

Stiffly and slowly I got up, and began to walk in the opposite direction. The wolf lunged at me.

A bloodcurdling scream pierced the air and as the wolf dived on top of me, I was only vaguely aware that I was the one screaming.

I heard a twang, and the wolf leapt off me, howling almost piteously, an arrow protruding from its neck. Another was fired and successfully aimed, narrowly missing me by inches.

To my tired eyes, a shadow leapt down from the nearest tree and hurtled towards us. My rescuer drew the bow again and the third arrow sliced through the wolf's grey skin and pierced, without a doubt, its heart.

The already weak wolf retched, coughing up blood, its eyes lolling, turning towards me, for half a second, as if in accusation.

With a final breath, it slumped back. Its body was completely still and silent.

I turned my head to face the shadow.

My mouth dropped open in disbelief. The fading face in my mind was instantly restored. His face swam in front of my eyes. I was dreaming. This was all a dream I would wake up from. But it wasn't. He took my hand, said my name in concern. I was so tired. I needed sleep – a bed with warm blankets, soft pillows. My heavy eyelids closed and I knew no more.


	5. Chapter 2 Part One

Chapter 2 – Part One

Luke Scarlett. There was not a time when I did not know him. Our mothers were inseparable and for the first years of our lives, we grew up together.

I still remember those summer days, tinged with gold. Those were the golden times of freedom we as children experienced. The sky always seemed to be a clear blue; trees fruitful and evergreen; fields stretching out towards Sherwood Forest, rippling as the wind softly blew.

Under an oak tree, a way off from the huts where we lived, Luke would play his tin whistle an uncle of his had given to him from Scarborough, and I would listen, lost in a world which I need not have escaped to. Those times were idyllic then. We had nothing to fear. We talked about everything and also nothing, as we pondered, naively, of our futures. He confided in me that he dreamt of rejecting his father's ambitions for him to become a carpenter and instead of becoming a knight, with a magic sword like the kings of old, and a white steed to carry him forth on his many quests and adventures. I told him that I wanted to be a lady, abiding in a castle, with servants to wait on me hand and foot, and to be dressed in silk and satin, with long cascading golden hair – the envy of all Christendom.

We were children then - young, innocent, unprepared for the harsh reality of this cruel and unwelcoming world.

Little did we know that our dreams would soon fade and our days of bliss would vanish.

Sir Robin of Locksley, a kind young earl who oversaw our village, and my cousin Much, his manservant, left us to fight in the Holy Land, alongside King Richard the Lionheart.

The Coeur de Lion, Mark our priest at Locksley would have said in a Sunday morning service, to try and sound more impressive and learned.

It never worked. It just made him sound even more silly and pompous than before.

That was one of the many things Luke used to laugh about. He was always smiling.

Except when the Grim Reaper beckoned to both our mothers with his crooked finger of bony ligaments, and they could not be steered away from his gaze.

That harvest was the worst I had ever managed to live through. The once abundant fields from long ago had died as prospects worsened.

We now had a new earl of Locksley, though his actual title did not match. Guy of Gisbourne was his name. He was dark, brooding, even deemed as handsome by some of my friends. But when he took control, we all grew to fear him.

A new Sheriff of Nottingham had also been appointed – a mere puppet under Prince John's thumb. On top of the food shortages, the little money we had went to the heavy taxes he imposed on us.

I remember my mother would not give up hope, even when things could not have seemed more bleak. She was adamant that we would survive, feeding us much more than she ate herself. Jane Scarlett was the same – she never let her boys go hungry.

As they were inseparable in life, they also proved inseparable in death. Both of them passed away on Christmas Day, along with a number of others in Locksley.

As I had always talked to my mother far more than my father, and could not imagine a day without her, watching her cook and clean our hut, smiling and laughing despite the many hardships we were going through, I wept for a whole day. My eyes puffy and raw and anger bubbling away inside me like a steaming cauldron.

I knew how much food Sir Guy had on Christmas Day. I was one of his serving girls in the Manor house. I knew how much the Sheriff had, and the nearby bishops, abbesses and abbots. No wonder a few villagers would poach game in the forest. And under the new laws, those people lost their hands because of it.

Luke's father, Dan, was one of them. He was trying to stop Luke and his elder brother Will from poaching, but Gisbourne's men found them first before Dan could get to them. Someone had to lose a hand, and Dan offered up himself, so Will and Luke could keep both their hands.

I will never forget when Dan was bedbound in their hut for a week afterwards, and Agnes, Locksley's wise woman, tended his useless and amputated arm. Luke sat outside, shaking as he heard his father's yelps and shouts of excruciating pain. I had never seen him look so afraid before. I held his hand as he blinked back tears, and he squeezed it back, as we tried to breathe normally and block out the surrounding putrid air we could not help inhaling. I said nothing. I did not know what to say. In silence we sat, as I knew words were of little comfort.

As the next two years dragged by, Locksley became a silent and eerie village. We lived in constant fear of the Sheriff's men, who thundered into our everyday lives unexpectedly, to make announcements and collect the steadily increasing amount of taxes. We were told they were tithes for the King in the Holy Land, but we all knew better. Things could not have got much worse.


	6. Chapter 2 Part Two

Chapter Two – Part Two

It was at that time, when we were all oppressed and defeated, that I started to think. About my future. But seriously this time. About Luke.

In my spare moments, when I was not cleaning or cooking or milking or hurrying around, I thought about him. I had recently noticed how tall he had grown: he was taller than his father and almost as tall as Will. For an inexplicable reason, it made me want to nestle into him, feel his long arms holding me and find security in his strength.

It was foolish, I know. But I also could not get all the things I liked about him, a list too long to even skim through, out of my head. All the annoying things he did, like teasing me about John (who was a few years older than us, who almost all the girls apart from me, practically swooned over, every time he so much as walked past us, as he was too handsome for his own good, in my opinion), pestering me to play thumb war with him and his jokes, which were just not funny, flew completely out of my mind whenever I dwelt on him.

I daydreamed about the day when his father would approach my father and they would agree our betrothal.

That fantasy, admittedly, almost escalated out of control at this point: although they had both married women who were like two peas in a pod, my father Alan and Dan Scarlett were more like chalk and cheese.

My father, even when Mother was alive, was stern, controlling and never at ease, whereas Dan was relaxed and always spoke his mind, which gained him respect from many people, as well as getting him into (a lot of) trouble.

Unless a miracle occurred and our fathers soon became inseparable like our mothers were, the idea of Luke and I ever being betrothed was, in reality, highly unlikely.

But this was not an obstacle for me in my head, and I still kept on thinking about it.

I hoped Luke would feel the same way, and wished every day that he would see me the way I wanted him to see me – the girl he would always love, instead of a girl too much like the younger sister he never had.

While my father and I ate my badly cooked stew in the evenings in a silent house, lacking a mother's touch, I longed for the day when I would share a home with Luke, and have children with Luke's smile and eyes, filling the air with laughter and noise.

And with the wishings came the feelings: my stomach performing a somersault whenever I saw him, which was almost every day on the way back from work. I felt myself blushing every time I spoke to him, not to mention the butterflies I had. I am still not quite sure what he made of it all. Perhaps he never knew, which would seem such a relief now and would have saved me from a lot of humiliation.

Looking back on it, these blossoming feelings helped me to escape from the harsh life we all faced, and from the reality that father would probably have given me away to an executioner if it meant having more money. The rising taxes and the harsh regime of Sheriff Vaisey and Guy of Gisbourne had turned my father into a desperate man with desperate measures.


	7. Chapter 2 Part Three

Chapter Two – Part Three

Finally, as if someone other than us had known the hell we were going through, we were (momentarily) saved in the form of two dishevelled, weary men, making their way with confidence into Locksley Estate.

Whenever a stranger ventured into Locksley, everyone would hide, bar the windows, lock the doors, crouch behind the walls to avoid being seen and picked on as targets, in case it was one of the Sheriff's men.

As everyone stopped what they were doing and quickly retreated, leaving me to stare motionless at the hill the strangers were descending, I scanned their faces. My father was in Nottingham that day and I was not to start work at the Manor House until an hour's time.

Unfortunately, I was familiar with the Sheriff's men. Even from a way off, I did not recognise them as those who regularly disturbed us. Could they –

No. How silly, I rebuked myself. Crusades last more than five years, and crusaders have been known to spend years out there.

I stood alone, Locksley deserted but still all ears. I squinted again at the two men, now certain that they were not tax collectors.

At last, something clicked and I recognised them.

'Much!' I called out, and just like long ago, in the time where death had no place to pester us, we hugged one another.

Sir Robin stopped as we embraced, smiling at us.

Tears came into my eyes.

'I'm so glad you're home,' I croaked.

'I am too.' My cousin surveyed my face. I could tell he knew something was wrong. Even after his long absence, he knew me too well.

'What's happened since we've gone?' queried Robin.

I shook my head.

'Too much,' was all I could say.

'How are the parents?' asked Much, smiling.

A lump came into my throat.

'Three years after you left,' I began, trying to find the words. 'We had a bad harvest. Mother – ' I broke off.

'Aunt Rachel?! Is she – '

'And Jane Scarlett. They passed away on Christmas Day.'

Much was dumbstruck for a second, then shook his head in disbelief.

'I – I – I – '

'Who let that happen?' Robin asked. I could tell by his tone of voice that righteous anger writhed inside him.

'We have a new lord in charge of Locksley, sir.'

'What is his name?'

'Sir Guy of Gisbourne.'

A flicker of recognition passed through Robin's eyes at his name.

'Guy…' he muttered, his face overshadowed by memory.

'I don't believe it!' Much exclaimed, in his state of denial.

'In bad years, you always gave food from your store to us,' he reminded Robin, who was silent still. 'How could anyone let anyone else starve?'

Robin shook his head. He addressed me again.

'Did Sir Guy offer anyone any supplies from his store?'

My dissatisfaction and anger at Sir Guy, which had been going round and round silently in my head, erupted all at once. I was surprised Much and Robin did not stop me.

'No, he didn't, sir, and I have no idea how he could have let us starve. I saw him…. I saw the food the Sheriff and the Abbess of Kirklees and the noblemen had to eat on Christmas Day. There were plates and plates left over, but we were told to feed them to the pigs instead of our families. Can you believe how anyone could be so callous to cut off people's hands who tried to keep their loved ones alive? My mother died, Luke's mother died and Dan got his hand cut off – thankfully Will has almost finished his apprenticeship as a carpenter, so they can still earn enough money, but Dan did not deserve to get his hand chopped off, nor anyone else!'

When I finally finished my tirade, I was out of breath and flushed. Much and Robin stared as if they had never seen me before. I shuffled nervously and Much whistled.

'So this is really bad then, Amy?'

I nodded. 'Very.'

Robin looked past us at the village behind us.

'Where is everyone?'

'Hiding,' I answered.

'But why?'

'The Sheriff's men. They come almost every week to collect taxes from us.'

Robin looked at me with his blue eyes. I do remember hearing from others about how much of a flirt he was. But now he looked so serious.

'But what if you can't pay them?'

I shrugged. 'We try and manage. It just means not eating as much as I would like. We're always hungry.'

Robin turned away from us and walked down to the huts, his expression grim. Much and I followed.

'What was the Holy Land like?' I asked Much.

Much's face suddenly looked tired, and the youthfulness which had once been there had faded away.

'Brutal.' One word seemed to sum up the last five years.

'I'm glad to be back here, Amy.' I left it at that, not wishing to probe. I heard from Alice, another servant at the Manor, that (apparently) dying soldiers in Jerusalem cried aloud for their mothers on the battlefields, and many had returned to England, traumatized by the warfare.

As we passed the Scarletts' hut, Dan was still outside, bent over and using his good arm to saw a plank of wood. I knew that he was deliberately not looking at Much and Robin.

'Dan Scarlett?' exclaimed Robin, striding over to Dan. 'Dan, it's me, Robin!'

'Robin?' asked Dan, in disbelief.

'Yes!' chuckled Robin.

'Is it really you?' beamed Dan.

'Of course it's us,' said Robin.

'I'm not dreaming, am I Amy?' Dan asked me in jest.

I shook my head, unable to stop smiling.

'We are home unscathed,' announced Much. 'Well… scathed. Very scathed. But happy… and hungry. Mostly hungry.'

'Blessed Mary, it is you!' exclaimed Dan. Much had a reputation in Locksley for being hungry most of the time.

Dan made to embrace them both, and then became self-conscious of his handless arm, and held back. But Robin threw his arms around Dan.

'An accident?' queried Robin, as he stepped away from the village carpenter. Robin either had not heard what I had told them about Dan in my babbling or was choosing to let Dan tell them personally how it happened.

'Err, an incident,' Dan replied hastily. 'No matter… what's done is done.'

'Tell me,' said Robin, sounding concerned.

'Guy of Gisbourne runs your estate for the Sheriff.'

'Does he?' said Robin, not sounding at all surprised.

'We have one tithe after another for the King in the Holy Land. Making ends meet, it's…' Dan sighed. 'It was wrong, but my boys, they took some game. I went to stop them but so did Gisbourne's lot. They got caught. Me too. Someone had to lose a hand. Better me than Will, or little Lukey. I'm old. They've got years ahead of them.'

'This is madness. You are a skilled man, you built half this village,' Robin gestured to the surrounding huts.

'I won't have this, you will be compensated!' Robin raised his voice.

Dan sighed.

'I see my boys in good health, and I am happy,' Dan said gently.

The door of the hut then creaked open. I saw Luke (my heart did a flip), who caught sight of Much and Robin, and then hastily retreated.

'It's alright, boys,' said Dan, cheerily. 'This is Master Robin!'

'You're alright, come on!' said Robin gently, gesturing them to come out.

Before emerging from the shadows, Luke grabbed his bow and some arrows. Luke grinned at me, and I smiled back.

'This is my bow,' Luke addressed Robin, a little shyly. 'My dad made it for me. Why has yours got those curves in it?'

Robin unhooked his bow from off his shoulder and held it in his hands for Luke to have a closer look.

'Well, this is a Saracen bow. It's recurved.' Robin traced the outline of the bow with his finger. He then made as if to fire an arrow. 'The bow straightens when you draw. It makes it small, but powerful.'

Luke's eyes lit up and he chuckled. He loved learning about archery.

'Is it true you can hit a man from a mile away?' he asked Robin, eagerly. 'If I practise every day, I'll be able to do that.'

'Well let's hope you never have to shoot a man, Luke,' said Robin, a little patronisingly.

'That's what Dad says,' admitted Luke, sheepishly.

'Bet you killed loads of men when you were fighting with the king,' said Luke again (honestly, can he be any more annoying?).

Robin smirked at Dan, but didn't say anything.

'Look,' said Luke. He loaded an arrow on his bow string, and prepared to fire the arrow into their roof. He evidently wanted Robin to give him tips.

'Okay, keep your chin up,' said Robin. 'And remember to t- – '

Luke had let go. The arrow hadn't gone very far.

'Take a breath first,' Robin chuckled.

'Wait!' said Luke, heading over to retrieve his arrow, as Robin continued to chuckle.

'He's a credit to you and Jane,' Robin said.

Dan smiled, and then his eyes filled with tears.

'No?!' said Robin, aghast. He had evidently not taken in what I said earlier.

Dan nodded and sniffed loudly. 'Two years,' he said hoarsely. 'Told us she was eating. I don't think she was. Couldn't see her boys starve. Our whole village has suffered, not just us.'

Robin looked deep in thought. 'Jane,' he said simply. He shook his head. 'Your good strong wife.'

Dan nodded sadly.

Then we heard horses neighing suddenly nearby and a thundering of hooves. It was the Sheriff's men. Will snatched Luke's arrow away and hid it behind his back, looking grave, as he usually did.

Sir Guy of Gisbourne was with them. The armed men dismounted, and then entered the huts around us, forcing the rest of the villagers out, so that they stood in front of Sir Guy. All of us wandered over to join them.

'Ten sacks of flour have gone missing from the store,' Sir Guy informed the villagers. 'They will be found. They will be accounted for.'

I then saw the men force out Benedict Giddens from one of the cottages, who was struggling to break free, and another armed man holding two white sacks full of flour.

'No more, sir,' the solider said, as he flung down the sacks.

There was a deathly silence.

'Who helped this… runt?' Sir Guy asked the assembled villagers in a dangerously low voice.

No one responded. I saw Luke look at Will in a questioning way, but Will stared stonily back at Guy, avoiding Luke's gaze.

Sir Guy sighed. 'Step forward now… I may show lenience.'

Dan looked sternly at Luke, but Luke glanced quickly at his father and then avoided his gaze. I felt like rolling my eyes – he was not being subtle at all.

There was more silence. Guy shook his head. 'No.'

'The remaining perpetrators will be found. This crime will be punished. Bring the boy.'

'Wait!'

Robin made his way from the back of the crowd towards Sir Guy. The villagers stepped aside for him to pass through.

'Guy of Gisbourne,' acknowledged Robin.

'SIR Guy of Gisbourne to you,' interjected one of the soldiers standing near the captured Benedict. 'And bow before your master.'

'_Sir _Guy of Gisbourne,' said Robin, with a half bow. Sir Guy had a face like thunder. I am sure he recognised him.

'My name is Robin – Earl of Huntingdon and lord of this manor.' Everyone around me gasped and looked at each other. 'Your services here are no longer required.'

Much had fished out Robin's fur cape from their many bags, and had draped it over Robin's shoulders. This proved, beyond a doubt, that the lord of this manor had returned. We all bowed low. I snatched a look at Luke, who was smirking at Sir Guy's displeased countenance and trying to catch Will's eye.

Robin stood resolute, staring at Sir Guy, and then strode towards the Manor House. Sir Guy dismounted and followed them.

Benedict looked relieved, but Gisbourne's men still had a strong grip of him.

'We're still taking you to Nottingham,' one said gruffly. Benedict's mother, Mary, was sniffing loudly.

'Mum!' shouted Benedict.

'Shut up!' said one of the men, hitting him round the head. They then took him away. We all milled around, waiting to see what would happen next.

'I just can't believe they're back!' I exclaimed to the Scarletts. 'It just feels like a dream.'

'Things will get better, Amy,' said Dan with a smile. 'You'll see.'

Sir Guy then stormed out of the Manor, looking even more angry than before. His manservant and some other Manor servants ran to keep up with him, holding his trunk and several bags of luggage.

'Give me my horse!' he barked at the Sheriff's men. He swung himself into the saddle, and then they all rode off.

I sighed, 'Well, hopefully that's the last we'll see of him.'

'Yeah, let's hope so,' said Luke.

'I bet Much is so happy right now! He's probably gone straight to the Manor kitchen to wrangle some food from Rose.'

Luke chuckled. 'I forgot how much Much likes his food.'

'Yeah, so did I. I reckon it must have been very warm in the Holy Land, and that there wasn't that much food there either.'

Then Thornton, the Manor's most senior servant and Robin's former manservant, hurried over to us all.

'Everyone, I have some splendid news to share. Sir Robin has commanded us to hold a feast for all the village at the Manor house. Everyone must eat – he has said that he and Much are not to eat until everyone here does.'

Everyone gasped and clapped. I felt my stomach rumble in anticipation.

'If you know of anyone who is unwell and cannot reach the Manor house, please let me know, and we can bring food to them. It should be ready in a couple of hours.'

'Also, Much has been made a free man by Robin, and is to be the Earl of Bonchurch - make of that what you will!' added Thornton. Everyone laughed, and I turned to Luke in shock.

'Much? A free man? Woah!'

'Oh, I'm sure that won't go to his head… much,' added Luke, and I sniggered.

Then two figures on horses cantered over to us. It was Robin astride a big black horse, and Much, just about holding onto another horse.

'Everyone, make sure you eat as much as you want at this feast. None of the Manor servants are to eat, and we will not eat, until you all do,' Robin proclaimed. 'We will be back soon.' With that, the two men galloped off.

Everyone's spirits were raised further by this. As the villagers dispersed, I turned to Luke.

'So, are you going to go to the feast?' I asked. Then I mentally kicked myself. What a silly question.

'Yeah, of course. Who wouldn't?'

I studied Luke, without making it obvious I was doing so. He met my gaze, and managed to hold it before swiftly looking away. I looked down as I felt my cheeks burn, and my heart started fluttering like a kingfisher in mid-flight.

'Amy?' I heard him ask.

'Yeah?'

'I think some people have gone to fetch their musical instruments, so there may be some dancing at the feast. If there is…'

My insides froze.

'Would you do me the, erm – '

'Dance with me?' I finished the sentence for him, smiling.

'Yep, basically.' I looked at him. He was breathing steadily and had turned pink around the ears.

'Don't worry, it was stupid of me to say that. You'd probably prefer to dance with John – '

'John? Luke, how many times have I told you,' I groaned in exasperation, ' I really don't think of him in that way. And – '

'Amy!' It was Thornton, beckoning over to me. Of course, I realised. I needed to help Rose in the kitchen. The feast wasn't going to happen by itself.

'Just coming!' I shouted back. I turned to face Luke.

'And?' he asked eagerly. I remembered what I was going to say but I held my tongue.

'And, well, I may be tied up in the kitchen so won't be able to dance with anyone. But I'll try to be free.'

'So was that a yes?' Luke asked slyly. I nodded, grinning.

'See you there,' I said, touching him briefly on the arm and starting to walk away. 'If I'm not rushed off my feet.'

Luke laughed. 'How's Rose going to cope with that amount of food to cook?'

I grimaced. 'I really just don't – '

'AMY!' called Thornton again. I hitched up my skirt and ran towards the Manor house, as fast as my legs would carry me.


	8. Chapter 2 Part Four

Chapter Two – Part Four

The next two hours rushed past as I, Magda and Gwen and other servants bustled about the kitchen. Rose was agitated and stressed as she told us what to do. Thankfully, Thornton stayed out of the kitchen and instead set up the large hallway with two other male servants, where the food was to be served.

Finally, the banquet was ready. Magda and Gwen scuttled off, probably to find Lankin and Macsen, their sweethearts. I asked Rose if she needed anymore help. She smiled and waved me away. 'No, love, enjoy yourself! Make sure you eat plenty!'

Relieved, I pulled off my apron, left the kitchen and joined the bustle of villagers gathered in the hall. After Thornton shouted grace for the food, everyone made for the tables, which were groaning with bread, cheese, chicken, vegetable stew and plenty of gruel.

After I grabbed a wooden plate and piled as much food on it as I could, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and Luke smiled at me. I couldn't help smiling back.

'So you're not tied up in the kitchen then?' Luke asked.

'I checked with Rose, and she said to go and eat plenty.'

'I can see!' Luke laughed, pointing at my plate.

'Well, you're a fine one to talk!' I scoffed. 'Look at your plate. You've got far more than me.'

'Shall we find somewhere to sit?' Luke asked. I nodded and we made our way over to one of the benches in the corner.

At the other end of that bench, I saw Jeffrey with an egg, and he was doing his egg trick yet again to anyone who happened to be standing near him. I hadn't seen him do it for years, to be fair, but I felt sorry for his longsuffering wife, who didn't look very impressed. I saw Will, looking far more relaxed than before, joking and laughing with his father, and everyone looked happy.

It was so good to eat properly and a blessing to eat more than I needed. Once Luke and I had finished, he jerked his head towards the door.

'Do you want to sit outside?' It was now late afternoon. I nodded, hoping that Thornton wouldn't find me to ask me to help clear up plates for another half an hour or so at least.

Now it was afternoon, it was cooler than it had been this morning, and I shivered. The Manor house had been very warm.

'Here.' Luke slid off his jacket and placed it around my shoulders.

'Thanks,' I murmured.

'Let's sit down.' Luke took my hand and we sat cross-legged on the cold earth.

We could still hear the shouts of everyone else inside, but they were faint, and we soon became lost in our conversation.

'Luke,' I said.

'Yes?'

'You and Will didn't steal the rest of that flour from the store did you?'

Luke looked down. 'I'm not proud of it, Amy.'

I took his hand. 'Hopefully, now that Robin is back, they'll pardon Benedict and he'll be allowed to come home.'

Luke smiled, and squeezed my hand. 'Yes, let's hope so. I hope things will be different from now on.'

'I hope so too.'

'I mean, now that Master Robin is back, hopefully we won't have to live in fear of the Sheriff's men any more. If only our mothers could have seen us now.'

The sadness in his voice made my heart lurch, and he leaned away from me, his eyes averted from mine.

I put my arms around his shoulders and we held each other close. I smelt him, his earthy man smell, and his black curly hair brushed against my face.

'Maybe they can see us now,' I suggested.

'Yeah… maybe they've joined the clouds in the sky.'

'I'm being serious,' I protested, thinking he was teasing.

'So am I.'

We broke apart. I felt guilty for thinking little of him. He meant well, and I loved him. My heart somersaulted at that last thought.

'What are you thinking about?' Luke asked, his eyes twinkling. I blushed instantly.

'Erm, betrothals,' I blurted out, without thinking.

'Betrothals…' Luke made that word hang in the air as he paused. 'That's what I've been thinking about too.'

'Doesn't Will have to marry first?'

Luke snorted with mirth.

'Can you imagine him married?'

I thought for only a second.

'No.'

'You see? The only girl who would ever marry him would be even more grumpy that he is.'

I thought of the longest conversation I had ever had with Will, and silently agreed.

'Who would you pick, out of all the men in Locksley?'

I half-gasped and half-laughed. 'I can't tell you that!'

'Why not?'

'Because I don't like them in that way.'

'You've never liked any of them in that way?'

'Well.' This was turning into a thoroughly awkward conversation.

'As a matter of fact, there is one young man I admire. But my father is so desperate for money that he would probably marry me off to the richest man he has ever met before anyone else has the chance to ask him for my hand in marriage.'

'You're right. That is so like him. But what's this man like? What's his occupation?'

'I can't tell you that! You'd know straight away. What about you? Who do you want to be betrothed to?'

_Please say me, please say me, _I longed from the bottom of my heart. Luke laughed, perhaps a little nervously (I think?).

'I can't tell you that! She probably does not see me in that way.'

'Have you asked your father about it?'

'I once mentioned betrothals in passing a few weeks ago.'

'And… what did he say?'

'He said that he knew the perfect girl for me.'

I laughed. 'Sounds like it's pretty straightforward.' My heart was sinking, but I tried to disguise it by wrapping his jacket tighter around me.

'But, Amy, it's far from straightforward.' He turned to face me now, and I dared to look at him.

'I see this girl, talk to this girl, every day. I've known her all my life. But I don't know if she feels the same way at all. And a betrothal isn't usually based on feelings, but I want this one to be. Because I want to love her all the days of my life – '

All I was aware of was Luke's wonderful face, and something pounding in my chest, as I was vaguely aware of this speech.

'But fathers don't think like that, do they? All they care about is a good match, enough money and grandchildren, not about whether the couple love each other.'

'You father is not like that at all,' I reassured him, tears now coming into my eyes. 'He'd let you marry for love. My father wouldn't. I don't think he believes in love,' I added, wiping my face, hoping he wouldn't notice that I was crying.

Then I noticed that armed men, the Sheriff's men no less, were heading towards us. We got to our feet, and Luke stood a little in front of me, subconsciously shielding me from them.

'Oi,' one of them grunted. Another of them leered at me, and I recoiled. I found Luke's hand, and he let me hold it.

'Yeah?' Luke replied defensively.

'Are you Luke or Will Scarlett?'

'I might be.'

Infuriated with his impertinence, the man seized him by the scruff of the neck. I gasped.

'Don't play games with me, lad. Are you a Scarlett or not?'

Luke struggled to break free. The man's grip tightened.

'Yeah, I am. Luke. Luke Scarlett,' Luke panted.

'Well, you're off to Nottingham with us. Caught red-handed, eh? Red by name, red by nature.'

The other men laughed raucously, and they dragged him away.

'Luke!' I cried out. I tried to run after them but one of the men caught me and held me back.

'Amy!'

Luke, despite the struggle, tried to face me.

'Just thought you should know,' he bellowed. 'I, erm…' His face was flushed.

'Oooh!' catcalled one of the men. 'These two are sweethearts alright!' The rest of the men howled with laughter.

'Let's find the other Scarlett,' one of the men shouted to the other, and a few of them made their way into the Manor house.

The man still had a strong grip of me, and did not let go until Will had been brought out. Unlike Luke, Will did not struggle, but allowed the men to take him. Dan was following close behind, also restrained by one of the armed men.

'They've taken Luke,' I choked. The armed men let go of me, as well as Dan, and I ran to Dan. He put an arm around my shoulders and let me cry on him.

'Amy, I told Will that Robin will do all he can to save them. I pray that Robin will save them from getting their hands cut off.'

My heart seemed to stop.

'But that's not fair!' I said angrily.

Dan's laugh was hollow. 'If only life was fair, Amy.'

We stood there in silence. Villagers started trickling out of the Manor house, now that they had had enough to eat.

'I'll wait here and tell Robin what happened when he gets back. In the meantime, Amy, we can't expect miracles. I'll ask Thornton whether you can come with me to Nottingham tomorrow – I know how much you mean to my Lukey – but don't you worry about anything. Head on back into the kitchen to help Rose with the clearing up.'

I nodded, wiping my eyes which were streaming with tears. Dan gave me one last squeeze and let me go, gesturing to leave him.

Poor Dan, I thought, as I headed back into the kitchen. Sometimes I wished he was my father. But I tried, hard as I might, to push what had just happened out of my mind. It was all out of our hands. At least I meant something to Luke – even Dan could see it.


	9. Chapter 2 Part Five

Chapter 2 – Part Five

The next day, I travelled with Dan and a few other villagers from Locksley to Nottingham to watch the trial. My father, who came back the previous evening from Nottingham, in a bad mood because he had hardly sold any of his wares and he had missed the feast, disapproved of my going - even though I told him that Thornton had granted permission for me to go, so I was not slacking off work.

He has often told me that he thinks the Scarletts are scoundrels. This time he said that those Scarletts are not worth crying over. I felt like hitting him, but I held my tongue and busied myself with wiping our table, until he changed the subject.

I ended up sitting next to Dan in the cart on the way to Nottingham. As it was quite early in the morning, lots of the other villagers who were travelling with us fell back to sleep. Dan and I talked about many things during the journey. He told me about the days when he and our mothers were growing up.

I remembered what Luke said about betrothals, and asked him who he thought was Luke's perfect girl.

Dan guffawed, almost waking everyone up.

'Why d'you want to know, Amy?' he asked heartily.

I felt myself blush and tears start in my eyes.

'We were talking about it yesterday afternoon, before Luke was arrested.'

'I'll tell you afterwards,' Dan replied. 'When it's over.'

I didn't press him. Dan probably did not want me to become even more emotional. This information was something to look forward to.

When we arrived in Nottingham, we made our way to the town square. A gallows had been erected with four nooses and four stools.

My heart started thundering in my chest, and I heard Dan's sharp intake of breath next to me. Surely those gallows weren't for the Scarletts and Benedict. There must be some sort of mistake. I looked around the square for a wooden block, where their hands would be sawn off. There was none.

I realised then how much Dan had relied on Robin to prevent this from happening – how much faith and hope he had in his sons' release. I was already expecting that Will and Luke would get their hands cut off – it really shows how optimistic I am. But hanging? Just for stealing?

'They're going to be hanged?' I whispered to Dan. But Dan said nothing.

A few moments later, I saw Robin and Much make their way through the throng. Robin's face confirmed the worst. He had not found a way to save them.

'Murderer,' accused Margaret, one of our villagers, who I had known for years.

'Murderer,' spat Agnes, our wise woman. I was shocked at that – Agnes had spat on our master! Robin wiped the spit off his face, but did not retaliate. He did not seem to have the heart to.

He made his way over to me and Dan, his eyes full of sorrow.

'Robin,' acknowledged Dan, nodding his head. Robin said nothing. 'It's not your fault,' Dan reassured Robin, calmly.

Then the doors of the keep were opened, and out strolled the Sheriff, flanked by Sir Guy and a few of his henchmen. He was holding a thick scroll of parchment, and made his way down the stairs to the square. Robin walked slowly towards him.

'Lords, ladies, people of Nottingham… we have gathered here today to witness the carrying out of justice, in the name of God and King Richard,' cried out the Sheriff. 'BRING OUT THE PRISONERS!' he called, using the scroll of parchment as a sort of trumpet to amplify his voice, and then he smiled.

Anger bubbled inside me. How could he smile at such a time as this?

Trudging down the stairs on the far left of the courtyard came a man whose face was vaguely familiar, but whose name I didn't know, then Will, then Luke (my heart flipped) and Benedict. They were accompanied by armed men. The first man tried to escape but he was unsuccessful.

'Robin of Locksley, Earl of Huntingdon, having recently returned from the Holy War with a personal commendation from the king himself, will read the proclamation. Enjoy!' continued the Sheriff, pleasantly, as if he was making a speech at the town fair, rather than at an execution.

Robin snatched the parchment from him. I turned my eyes away from the gallows to shut out the horror of what was about to happen.

I saw the Sheriff whisper something to Robin, and then Robin looked up towards the battlements. I followed his gaze and could see that men were up there but I couldn't tell what was going on. The Sheriff continued to smirk. I then realised that I could not see Much in the crowd, and felt even more panicky than I already did.

Robin, very white, opened the scroll and spoke loudly.

'Let it be heard and known about the lands and realms of Richard, his majesty, king of England… that on this, the 26th day of April, in the year of our Lord 1192, the following men, having been tried under law and found guilty – Benedict Giddens of Locksley, Will Scarlett of Locksley, Luke Scarlett of Locksley, Allan a Dale of Locksley. These same men have been sentenced to hanging by a rope until they are dead.'

All this was said with no emotion. I knew Robin was trying to be brave.

Then a slow drum started, and I peeked at the gallows. All the young men had nooses around their necks, and then the Sheriff's men forced sacks over their heads. Everyone gasped and I tried to concentrate on my breathing to stop the tears falling again. Dan looked distressed, and had his hand over his mouth.

'Will! Luke!'

I heard him cry out.

The drum beat had quickened.

'May the souls –' the Sheriff started but he was interrupted.

'Wait!'

A hooded figure raised his hand.

The Sheriff stopped and rolled his eyes in exasperation. The drum stopped.

'Na na no please don't kill my brother, my little baby, my inbred COUSIN!' the Sheriff shrieked.

'On behalf of Anthony, our bishop, I claim benefit of clergy for these men!' came the hooded figure's voice. He sounded vaguely familiar.

The Sheriff frowned at him.

'They cannot hang,' said the hooded figure again.

'These aren't holy men. These people cannot plead the cloth! Get on with it!' the Sheriff said dismissively.

'I came last night to administer their last rites.'

'So?'

'And each one came to God through me, repenting their sins and asking to take the cloth. I felt duty bound to consult the bishop and he in turn confers status of novice onto each man.'

'Shut up,' snarled the Sheriff.

The hooded man pulled out a scroll, and then I realised who it was. I didn't dare make it known on my face though.

'I, Anthony,' said the hooded figure, reading from the scroll, 'the rereverent vicar apostolic, hereby confirm – '

'SHUT UP!' yelled the Sheriff. Everyone turned and looked at him. The Sheriff turned to one of his advisors.

'Is this possible?'

'They could not have become novices overnight,' ventured the advisor.

'They are become postulants,' insisted the hooded figure. 'Novice novices if you like. And so are under the protection of the church.'

I saw Robin's mouth twitch. Oh no, I thought. Would the Sheriff buy this?

The Sheriff looked around in mock interest.

'Novice novices!? How novel! Well… hang them, and arrest him!'

The crowd gasped and the hooded figure tried to get away. The armed men grabbed him and his hood fell down. Now it was clear it was Jeffrey – the egg trick man – and not a member of the clergy at all.

The hope inside me died.

'Where's the drum?' asked the Sheriff impatiently.

The drum started beating again and I could hear the Sheriff sing along. I felt like I was about to collapse but I needed to be strong, for Dan's sake. Dan was openly weeping now.

'Watch and enjoy, Robin,' I heard the Sheriff say to Robin. 'Or your priest will talk, and then you will be done for, my friend.'

The drum beat quickened again.

'May the souls of these men find forgiveness in heaven,' the Sheriff finished. Then he signalled to his men and the bench underneath each man was kicked away.

Dan was sobbing, and I couldn't speak. Everyone was panicking and gasping.

'I love you boys!' shouted Dan. 'I love you Will. I love you Luke. I'll see you in heaven. God bless you boys.'

I couldn't watch but hid my face in my hands. I prayed for them all.

Then there was a commotion, and I looked up to see what was going on. Robin had knocked out two nearby soldiers and had grabbed a bow and arrows from them.

'People of Nottingham!' cried Robin.

He let an arrow fly and it pierced through one of the ropes from which the men hung. One man fell to the ground, still alive and still with the sack over his head and noose around his neck. There was chaos as the bystanders reached forward to pull him off the stage.

'These men have committed no crime worth more than a spell in the stocks!' Robin shouted again.

He let loose another arrow, and Will's body fell to the floor – he was still alive too.

'Will you tolerate this injustice?' questioned Robin, drawing his bow again. 'I, for one, will not,' he added. This time, two arrows flew towards the gallows, and broke the two remaining ropes. Benedict and Luke were free! My heart leapt.

Dan ran forward to his sons, pulling off the hoods and nooses. I stayed fixed where I was, as the Sheriff's men drew their swords and Robin fought them.

'MASTER! HELP!' came a disembodied voice.

It sounded like Much. It came from the high walls.

I lost track of what happened, and it was all a blur, but basically, Robin chucked a sword up to where Much's voice came from.

I caught sight of Dan, embracing Luke, and then taking hold of Benedict and Luke and running out of Nottingham. I longed to follow them, but I knew I would slow them down. But they were free, as long as the Sheriff's men did not catch up with them. Will had his trusty axe in his hand and was waiting by the big doors.

Much now came clattering down the steps. 'Robin!' he called.

Jeffrey stood by the door, as it seemed Will had managed to disentangle him from the armed men. 'This way!' Jeffrey beckoned.

Robin, Much and Will hurtled out of the square, along with the fourth man whom I did not recognise.

The Sheriff was livid. 'Well don't just stand there, get after him!' he ordered his men, who dutifully obeyed.

I remained where I was, still in shock.

I prayed that they would all have fled alive. I know they caught up with Jeffrey and flung him in Nottingham prison. He was hanged a few days later.

I hoped against hope that all of them would have ended up in Sherwood Forest or elsewhere. As long as they were alive.

And I never got to hear Dan's answer. I tried to tell myself that it didn't matter, as I would probably never see them again now – they had now been branded outlaws.

I could hear the crowd dispersing, now that the armed men had left the square, talking animatedly amongst themselves. I followed them back to the carts, feeling numb. I would never see Luke again. I loved Luke.


End file.
